Electrical-current connection for boats.



E. WESTRGM.

ELECTRICAL CURRENT CONNECTION FOR BOATS.

APPLICATION TILED MAR. 19, 1907.

Patented May 4, 1909.

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EDMUND WESTROM, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

ELECTRICAL-CURRENT CONNECTION FOR BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Application filed March 19, 1907. Serial No. 363,321.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND Wnsrnoii, merchant, a citizen of the free town of Hamburg, residing at Engelstrasse 11, Hamburg, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electrical Current Connections for Boats, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention comprises an electrical connection from a main feed wire, running along the shores of a river or canal to an electromotor or storage battery on board of a boat in motion on a river or canal.

The usual arrangement for the purpose of current transmission from a power station to railways, trolley cars etc., where the wires are strung along overhead or directly along side of the road, cannot be used for a boat in motion, because the distance of a boat in motion from the main feed wire must be variable in a very large degree. For this reason the device which takes the current from the main feed wire cannot be composed of a trolley wheel, or a hoop as is usually the case, but it must so encircle the wire that it cannot slide oil or be lifted from the wire. The current taking connection must furthermore adjust itself to the uneasy motions of the boat, caused by the waves, so as to prevent a jerky motion of the current taking connection, and lastly the current taking connection must be so connected with the electric circuit of the boat, that it can be easily disconnected when meeting a boat going in the o posits direction, and exchange cables wit it.

In the drawing one example of the object of the invention is shown.

Figure 1 shows a plan for the transmission of current from the main feed wire to a stern paddle wheel boat. In Fig. 2 a longitudinal out of the coupling is shown. Fig. 3 shows the contact arrangement on the end of the current taking cable in contact with the main wire. Fig. 3 is a modified form of the same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the bearing of the main wire on the posts, and in Fig. 5 the same is shown in an end elevation partly in section.

The main wire 19 coming from the power station is strung along a stream, (canal or river,) on the posts (1 which are rammed in along the shore, or in shallow water along the water course. These osts q carry on their tops, or on an arm or racket which reaches out sidewardly toward the water course, a

winged wheel 8 which is revoluble in the bearings r, r, whose arms '5 of insulated material are cut out U-shaped on their free ends, and in these cut outs a the bearing follies v are fastened. The bearing felly has on its eriphery a U-shaped groove like a bicycle fe y, in which groove w the main wire p loosely lies.-

The cable Z from the boat a has on its free end a contact ring Zr which encircles the main wire 17 in such a manner, that the ring 70 can be easily drawn along on the wire p; this ring 70 can also be'forined otherwise for example egg-shaped as shown in Fig. 3, in order to have as large a contact surface as possible, it is only necessary that the contact ring Zr encircles the main wire p, so that it cannot slip off. The cable Z has a pad on of insulating material where it is fastened to the contact ring 7r.

The connecting cable Z is brought to any point (Z desirable in the interior of the boat a to the motor, the latter is intended to drive any kind of a propeller, for instance screw n-opeller or )addle wheel. Back of the cable holder a suitable bent 8-shaped adjuster c is arranged, on which the cable Z lies loosely; a hoop b which is fastened to the end of the adjuster c prevents the cable Z from slipping off. In the drawing a stern paddle wheel boat is shown, on which the adjuster c is arranged directly behind the wheel case h, so that the cable Z from the adjuster 0 passes over the wheel case 7b to the cable holder (Z. At the lowest point of the adjuster c the cable Zhas a weight g, which compels the cable Z to settle to the bottom of tho adjuster 0 when from any cause it has been drawn taut.

The coupling shown in Fig. 2 is for the interchangeable connection of the cable Z with the circuit of the boat, and this con ling can in case of necessity act as the weig 1t 9. The two ends of the cable Z which are to be connected have each a contact plate a and 0 which are pressed together firmly by means of the screw coupling 6 and f.

The arrangement operates as follows: As soon as the boat begins to move, the contact ring 7c slips along the main wire 1), being drawn by the cable Z, whereby the weight g balances the weight of that part of the cable Z which hangs free between the hoop Z) and the main wire p so much, that that part of the cable Z which is between the hoop b and the cable holder (1, rests on the bottom of the adjuster c.

If the contact ring it reaches a main wire post then the ring it pushes with its pad m the encountered wing 25 of the revoluble Winged wheel 8 forward, thereby lifting the main wire 2) so far out of the felly groove to that the contact ring Zc can pass after which the wire p settles back into the groove to again. As the winged wheel 8 revolves very easily in its bearings, there is only so much resistance against the passing through of the contact ring 76 as the weight of the wire p in groove to amounts to.

The pad m revents the cable Z from being damaged by riction when pushing the revoluble wheel .9 around.

The adjuster c is to prevent a sudden ten sion on the cable Z when the boat becomes unsteady on account of waves. In case that heavy waves cause very unsteady up and down movements of the boat, that part of the cable Z which is between the cable holder cZ and the hoop b will follow the movements of the boat, and alternately tighten and settle into the adjuster 0, so that an over tension of the cable Z will be prevented.

When two boats going in opposite direction meet, the cable coupling e,f, a, 0 on both boats are uncoupled and exchanged with each other.

The cable Z can be fastened to the boat at any desirable point, according to the purpose for which the boat is to be used.

The object of the invention is the uninterrupted taking of an electrical current from a main wire running alongside of the water course by a boat in motion, which is guaranteed because the cable contact can not be lifted or slipped off from the main wire, and because the uneasy movements of the boat are balanced by the adjuster 0, thereby pre venting too great a tension on the cable Z.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In electrical connections for boats, rotary supports arranged along a water course, a main feeding wire carried by the supports, and a cable leading from a motor on a boat and provided with a contact member encircling the feeding wire, said supports having means coacting with the contact member to raise the feeding wire out of engagement with the supports to permit the contact member to pass said supports. I

2. In electrical connections for boats, su ports arranged along a watercourse, whee s mounted in thesupports and having arms of insulating material, a main feeding wire carried by the wheels, and a cable leading from a motor on a boat and provided with a ring like contact member encircling the feeding wire.

3. In electrical connections for boats, sup ports arranged along a water course, grooved wheels mounted in the supports and having radial arms of insulating material and projecting beyond the rim of the wheel, a main feeding wire supported by said wheels, a cable leading from a motor on a boat, a ring-like contact encircling the feeding wire, and an insulating pad on the cable adjacent to the contact.

4. In a device of the character described, a cable leading from a boat, a curved guide car ried by the boat and over which the cable passes, and a weight on the cable at the said guide.

5. In electrical connections for boats, supports arranged along a water course, Wheels carried by said supports and having radial arms, a feeding wire carried by the wheels, a

cable formed of sections detachably cou-- pled together, said cable leading from a motor on a boat and having a contact ring in sliding engagement with the feeding wire, and a te11- sion device for said cable.

6. In electrical connections for boats, a grooved wheel for supporting a feeding wire, provided with radial arms of insulating material and projecting beyond the rim of the wheel.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDMUND VVESTROM.

Witnesses:

Lunwre St'iDEoUM, ERNEST H. L. MUMMENHOFF. 

